Monthly Archives: October 2013

October 31 used to mean more than candy and costumes. Many cultures celebrated summer’s end — marking the close of the harvest season as the world transitioned into the darker, colder half of the year.

Today in the United States, most of our food is available year-round, with the exception of certain seasonal produce. But in many nations, farmers still rely on the seasons and a good harvest for their family’s survival and income for the entire year. World Vision works with farmers such as Morm Sem in Cambodia to help them increase their productivity.

World Vision writer Kari Costanza contrasts the life of her son, Nicholas, with the life of a young man she met in Tanzania, named Nikolaus. Both college-aged, her son Nicholas is in college pursuing his dreams; Nikolaus and his family are struggling to have hope for the future.

Find out how World Vision's programs will soon offer Nikolaus that hope.

Last month, I led a bloggers trip to Guatemala to witness child sponsorship at work and experience a snapshot of the impact that World Vision is having on communities there. One of the programs we visited was World Vision's music school and the Sounds of Hope youth orchestra, a program that is truly bringing new life to these rural communities and helping to make children's dreams come true.

World Vision U.S. president Rich Stearns and his wife, Reneé, released two new books last week! He Walks Among Us: Encounters With Christ in a Broken World is a book of devotionals, and God’s Love For You is a Bible storybook for kids.

Today, Rich describes the journey of writing these books and his encounters with God during his travels all around the world with Reneé and World Vision.

Tran Thi Mui, a young mother in rural Vietnam, was sad to learn that her first child, Vu Viet Ha, was malnourished. Child malnutrition can lead to reduced mental and physical development as children grow. Aware of this danger, Mui was determined to change her daughter’s situation by continuing to participate in her nutrition club supported by World Vision.

Today, World Vision U.S. president Rich Stearns and his wife, Reneé, are releasing two new books! He Walks Among Us: Encounters With Christ in a Broken World is a book of devotionals, and God's Love For You is a Bible storybook for kids.

Below is "Indoor Plumbing" -- a devotional from Rich about clean water in Ghana and the living water of the Holy Spirit.

When 21-year-old Waed’s contractions spurred her to leave home and see her midwife, she knew she was about to give birth to new life. She didn’t realize that she would also be saving her own. As she was delivering her baby girl, Muna, in a nearby building, a rocket fell on her house. It was destroyed.

With our partner 10x10 and their documentary,Girl Rising, we're aiming to ignite a movement to educate girls around the world. Millions of girls, like Jenneh in Sierra Leone, face barriers to their education. This is Jenneh's story.

“Every morning when my brother used to get ready for school, I used to cry over my fate,” Sabra, now 14, remembers. She would ask herself, “Why am I a girl? I used to think that if I had been a boy then I would have been blessed with the most precious gift in the world – education.”

Last month, Roo Ciambriello and seven other bloggers joined us in Guatemala, visiting World Vision's work there and witnessing child sponsorship at work. Back home now, Roo reflects on her experience and realizes how a simple yes to the trip has become so much more meaningful.

In India, there is a long-standing tradition that women serve men and maintain the home. Many drop out of school; some never venture outside their homes at all.

Through World Vision training programs, women like Jyoti and Khadija receive training in tailoring as well as sewing machines, empowering them to open their own tailor shops and inspire the next generation.

Throughout the month of October, we're turning the spotlight on the Syrian refugee crisis. And we're connecting it to our global #Dreamshare campaign - asking our friends and supporters to visit our microsite and share their dreams for the future of Syria and its people and refugees.

Today, blogger Stephen Brewster shares his dream for the children of Syria: the chance to be creative.